Daily Life in Olden Times Woodland Ojibwa/Chippewa Indians Dream Catchers   Dream catchers were designed to "catch" evil spirits, tangle them up, before they could enter your dreams. They were made with an open weave so the good dreams could get through. Dream catchers were woven by the grandfathers and grandmothers. They were hung above a sleeping baby.  Good Dreams: The Ojibwa believed that good dreams are light as air. Good dreams can wander gently through the night, and make their way down to a sleeping child, through the feathers and twigs of a dream catcher.  Bad Dreams: But there is nothing gentle about a bad dream. Bad dreams are violent and rambunctious. They plunge about in the night air, and dart down towards a sleeping baby. The dream catchers catches them in its web. The bad dreams are tangled in the catcher. There they stay, trapped, until morning, when the sun rises and sends them away.  The idea of the dream catcher traveled one tribe to the next, across the Great Plains, and on to both coasts. Today, many Native American artists make beautiful dream catchers.    Dream Catchers History How to make a dream catcher Free Presentations in PowerPoint format  Free Clip Art Return to the Northeast Indians Index   or the Native American Index  All Rights Reserved    Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!